ROBERT EARNSHAW celebrated his first match as Cardiff City captain by hitting a brilliant hat-trick as the Bluebirds blew away Leyton Orient in the first round of the Carling Cup at Ninian Park last night.

The Wales striker lit up a largely forgettable first-half with superbly-taken efforts in the 39th and 40th minutes before firing home his third nine minutes after the break.

And it was a case of deja vu as Andy Campbell sensationally bagged City's fourth a minute later with an impressive chip that went in off the underside of the crossbar.

The goals were pure quality and they deserved a better audience than the 4,503 that passed through the turnstiles to watch City's first home match of 2003-04.

The Bluebirds management insist they are taking this competition seriously, but City boss Lennie Lawrence used this tie against Third Division opposition to test a few of his fringe players.

There were rare starts for Martyn Margetson, James Collins, Layton Maxwell and Jason Bowen while first-team regulars Graham Kavanagh, Neil Alexander, John Robinson and Willie Boland found themselves on the bench.

City took 15 minutes to worry the Orient defence when Gareth Whalley released Earnshaw with a perfectly weighted long ball. However, the striker's first touch let him down allowing defender Billy Jones to snuff out the danger.

And the London club nearly stunned City midway through the first-half when a low cross caused panic inside the Bluebirds' six-yard box.

Wayne Purser nearly forced the ball home but Daniel Gabbidon scrambled it clear. Tom Newey tried to make the rebound count but his effort hit Purser.

The Os may have been two divisions below their hosts and they may have suffered a crushing 3-1 home defeat against Doncaster last Saturday, but they played some confident football during the first-half.

City looked like heading into the break at 0-0 - but then Captain Marvel Earnshaw struck two stunning goals in a devastating 60-second spell.

After 39 minutes the Wales striker woke up the crowd with a delightful curling shot from just inside the box.

And Earnshaw doubled City's lead virtually from the restart with Ninian Park unlikely to see another goal this season as exquisite as the one that killed off Paul Brush's side.

City won possession and Mark Bonner fed City's No 10 who, from the edge of the visitors' penalty box, beat the Orient 'keeper by scooping the ball over his stranded frame with his right foot.

It was an audacious strike by Earnshaw who can already point to a ''goal of the season' contender with this campaign less than a week old.

Harrison's night went from bad to worse when he was stretchered off moments later after hurting himself in an innocuous challenge. His understudy, Glenn Morris, became another Earnshaw victim after 55 minutes. The City striker collected Campbell's low cross, turned and beat Morris with a low drive.

A minute later it was Campbell's turn - the former Middlesbrough marksman dribbled his way to the edge of the 18-yard box before chipping the ball over Morris.

With 20 minutes left and his job done, Earnshaw made way for the player tipped to become Ninian Park's next boy wonder, Stuart Fleetwood.

But Lawrence's hopes of a clean sheet were dashed by substitute Jabo Ibehre who poked home a consolation goal for the Os after 75 minutes.